I buried Belle yesterday. She was 13 and a half years old. She has had heart problems for a while. They are all special, some more than others. She was unusual. When she was a puppy, two small deer would come up in the yard to play with her. My wife wanted a cat and I told her and so did everyone else, that Blue healers didn't like cats. But we got one anyway. Belle took right to the cat. They became best friends. We always said that the cat belonged to the dog. One morning I went to let Belle out of her pen and I heard the neighbor's dogs barking and my cat meow in the woods about 70 yards away. As I opened the pen I told Belle that I thought the neighbor's dog had her cat. She didn't even stop to pee but went strait toward the ruckus in the woods. Out of sight of me there was some barking as Belle entered the woods then it became quite. I stood astonished thinking that there was no way that dog knew what I said. In a few minuets Belle came out of the woods and about 10 yards behind her was the cat. I would not have believed it had I not seen it myself. Another time I was working a fence line and she found a small fawn down in the creek away from me. I was afraid she would kill it a yelled at her to let it go.... she did. She just wanted to play with it. I don't think she had a mean bone in her body unless it was in self defense. She never started a fight but would end them if need be. Another neighbor had several dogs that would come out and try to bite her when we walked down the road. She wouldn't pay them any attention until they got too close then she would run them back to there yards. She never showed pain even when she got bit and I wouldn't know she was hurt until I saw blood. She would bark but liked everybody if they were my friends. She did have a couple of bad points. I could never break her from barking at the 4 wheeler, the tractor and the lawn mower when I was on then and it was a high pitched bark that would hurt your ears but she was just excited and wanted to run with them. I say these things in honor of her and I thank all of you for your time.... she was a good dog. And yes, she would sit there with ear muffs on when I would shoot.